MACNAGHTEN, William Hay

MACNAGHTEN, William Hay. Antrim ?.8.1793 — Kabul 23.12.1841. Sir, Bart. British (Scots) Colonial Servant, Diplomat, and Orientalist in India. Second son of the lawyer Francis Workman M. (1763–1843, served in India 1809–25, Sir 1809, chief of the clan 1832, Bart. 1836). Educated at Charterhouse, came to India as cadet in 1809, served first in Madras, studied eagerly Hindustani and Persian, also Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi. In 1811-12 in Hyderabad as cornet, learning skills of diplomacy. In 1813 moved to Mysore residence and in 1814 to Bengal Civil Service, now studied languages at College of Fort Williams. After a while as assistant magistrate in Bengal, from 1820 Judge and Magistrate of Shahabad and from 1822 Registrar of Sudder Dewanny (Sadr Diwani Adalat). Became known as an expert of law. In 1830-33 he was Bentinck’s secretary in his tour around India, then head of secret service (Secret and Political Departments) until 1837. In 1837 he was a member of Auckland’s inspection in the North-west Provinces and planned the military expedition to Afghanistan. In 1838 he was at the court of Ranjit Singh negotiating an agreement in favour of Shah Suja. In 1839 he followed the army as diplomat to Afghanistan, but quarreled with officers and spent too much money to bribes. As an incurable optimist he trusted Shah Suja and even on his popularity, applying, without reason, his Indian experiences and discarding the warnings of Burnes and Pottinger. In 1841 he was against the evacuation. On 2nd November the insurrection broke out and Burnes was murdered. The army committed mistakes and the insurrection gained rapidly force. Soon WHM was also caught by the rebels and shot.

He was knighted (bart.) as absent in 1840 or 41, in September 1841 became a provisional member of the Council of India, and in September 1841 Governor of Bombay. He was talented, but had too much optimism, impulsiveness and self-reliance. In Oriental studies he is mainly remembered of the first complete edition of the Arabian Nights he edited with —> T. Macan.

– edited with Macan: The Alif [sic!] Laila; or book of the thousand nights and one night; commonly known as the Arabian Nights Entertainment; publ. complete in the original Arabic by late Major T. M., ed. by W. H. M.. 1-4. Calcutta 1839-42.